#Apple/SONY CD-ROM MAC
16 messages in this thread
Anyone see the Aug 12 InfoWorld where Apple/Sony have agreed to make a low
cost MAC for the home market for $600? Is is supposed to have 1 Meg of RAM,
68000 CPU, non-7.0 Roms, and a CDROM. Sony will be doing the design and
production. Apple will supply the ROMS. The unit will connect to a standard
B/W or color tv.
That leads to speculation: In one device, Apple will be going after CDTV
and the A500. Sony supplies the CD-ROM to CBM as well as Apple. I wonder if
there will be 'shortages' of CDTVs as Sony/Apple builds up production and
CBM can't get enough CD_ROMs?
-Greg
Haven't seen the article. Is it supposed to come with a keyboard and
mouse? That is, is it a complete system? Is output only in B&W?
If it's a complete home computer system for $600, then they're gonna clean
up. I wonder if someone goofed up tho, and is talking about the home
player that Apple cancelled due to employee layoffs? And/or got confused
with the announcement that Sony is going to be making Mac portables?
I didn't read anything as to keyboard/mouse, but CDTV gets away without 'em
and is listed much higher. This article was like an announcement of the
agreement between Apple and Sony. Apple was quoted as saying that they
wanted Sony to handle manufacturing, and if i'm not mistaken, distribution
through their (Sony's) mass market comsumer channels. I got the impression
it was hardly on the drawing board, and the announcment was designed to
make their competitors worry about a product not to be released for six
months to a year.
-Greg
Ah, okay… thanks, Greg! Yah, Apple made a similar announcement last
year, except without the Sony tie-in. You're right… Apple has really
gotten into the game of preliminary and vague announcements in the past
year or so.
Either it's fun to do it, or they got the idea of inducing FUD from IBM 🙂
Unknown what Sony will do these days. They helped create CD-I, yet now
they've gotta be mad at Philips for stealing Nintendo away from them. Sony
has bought big into the whole multimedia concept (including buying large
resources such as Columbia), but looks to have Beta-induced cold feet on
everything right now. Except maybe their new Mini-CD.
Interesting times!
I saw the article. It was in a bunch of MacWorld releases. Said that they
are TALKING and quoted Scully. So it is not clear that it is a done
deal–but at that price, *I* would be interested!
If C= is so stupid as to not have second sourced its CD-ROM drive supply,
they probably deserve what they get.
Jonathan
Jonathan – from Albany, NY, via whap!
Philips makes drives for lots of people, CD-I and CDTV are a small
percentage. I believe that Commodore buys from Philips, but I don't know
what the deal is between Sony and Philips and buying from one is the same
as from the other.
— Ethan
I saw the article, and at first was wondering if this was the same system
that Apple cancelled when they did their last round of layoffs a couple of
months ago. The description does seem to indicate a different system, but
it also seemed to announce the beginning of the development of the system.
I don't have the article in front of me at the moment, but I don't recall
an indication of the release date of the system.
Jeff Schweiger
Keep in mind that, as of now, there is NO evidence that low-end
users want CD-ROMs. Currently they hold magazines, data and fonts for the
most part. I don't see Apple coming out with a full Mac Classic style
computer with CD-ROM for $600, unless it is Sony who is selling it,
technology wholly licensed from Apple but containing a Sony logo.
— Ethan
Ethan –
That might be exactly what might take place. The article says that Sony
will both make and sell the new low end machine. There is no mention of
even having a keyboard with it (but to use it as a computer, it will need
one). It is to have a CD-ROM, floppy drive (no hard drive support), and
mouse. It will also not be able to handle System 7. No mention as to when
this beast will be available.
Jeff Schweiger
Knowing Apple, I doubt it'll come with a keyboard. 😎
— Ethan
Greg,
Are you SURE that Sony supplies the CD-ROMs for CDTV? I was under the
impression (news release a while back) that they were being built by the
Panasonic factory.
No I'm not, but I remember a thread on another network that said something
to the effect that the drive wasn't SCSI and someone thought it might be
SONYbus. There was no affirmation of the idea from CBM-types.
-Greg
– via Whap!
Greg,
Hmmmm, you don't happen to know of a SONYbus to SCSI 'controller' do
you?
I'll reply to you via mail as this is a developer-agreement thingie.
-Greg
– via Whap!
Vic,
The impression I got was that Sony supplies the drives, but the CDTV
players themselves were contracted out to a Panasonic-owned factory (ie:
the final assembly of all the parts).
Kev